Uchiha Yato had previously investigated Bunpuku's whereabouts.
The control of a Jinchuriki was critically important to any village, so Yato hadn't uncovered much useful information.
This was something Yato found particularly difficult to understand about the shinobi world's mentality.
While Jinchuriki could enhance a village's security, if left uncontrolled, they essentially became massive nuclear weapons that could turn on either side.
One misstep, and they might even attack their own village.
Why did people treat Jinchuriki so poorly? They were treated as mere tools, denied proper respect.
This wasn't limited to minor villages—even the Hidden Leaf, Hidden Sand, Hidden Mist, and Hidden Stone villages behaved this way.
Forcible sealing only harmed the Jinchuriki and made the Tailed Beasts resent humanity, with no actual benefits.
If they truly wanted to use Tailed Beasts as weapons of war, they could simply apply additional seals or genjutsu to forcibly control them.
Apart from the Hidden Cloud Village, Yato looked down on every village's treatment of Tailed Beasts.
Bunpuku, currently the most accessible perfect Jinchuriki, intrigued Yato—he wanted to understand how Bunpuku communicated with Shukaku.
After all, back home there was still the Nine-Tails to consider.
Yato wanted to learn how to separate the Nine-Tails without causing harm to Uzumaki Mito.According to the previous timeline, Uzumaki Mito should have already passed away by now, and she and Hashirama Senju would be having a party together in the underworld.
Uchiha Yato believed that Uzumaki Mito had treated him quite well, so he also hoped she could let go of this burden sooner and enjoy her twilight years in peace.
That was why he had been using his Mangekyo ability to minimize the passage of time for Uzumaki Mito as much as possible, thereby extending her lifespan.
According to the intelligence Uchiha Yato had gathered earlier, reaching Bunpuku's location wasn't particularly difficult.
The main challenge lay in the treacherous quicksand along the path—natural barriers designed to deter those with ill intentions.
Soon, Uchiha Yato arrived at one of the quicksand zones he had inquired about.
Beyond this point, without a detailed map, it was easy to fall into a quicksand trap and remain forever buried in the desert.
The sheer power of nature was still something to be feared.
But for Uchiha Yato, it wasn't impossible to cross.
After confirming no one was following him, he formed hand seals.
"Wind Release: Gale Boots."
A gentle breeze slowly lifted his feet off the ground.
This Ninjutsu was one of Uchiha Yato's original creations—a minor technique.
At the time, he had even tried teaching it to others, as the method wasn't particularly complex.
Simply put, it involved compressing the surrounding air with Chakra and maintaining it beneath his feet.
Much like how all shinobi trained to walk on water or climb trees by adhering Chakra, this technique relied on maintaining a compressed layer of wind.
Explaining it was easy, but executing it was difficult.
At least so far, apart from veteran Jonin and Kage-level talents, Uchiha Yato had yet to see anyone else succeed.
Even some Kage-level shinobi, if they lacked precise Chakra control, couldn't use this ability.
Right, Jiraiya?
Jiraiya: "Do you really have to bring up such a minor failure just to mock me?"
Additionally, a certain type of scorpion inhabited these quicksand zones.
Birds flying overhead could easily be struck by their venomous tails, causing them to fall into the quicksand and become prey.
To deal with this, Uchiha Yato simply used his Shadow Clones as test subjects.
As a descendant of the Senju clan, he was essentially a living Chakra battery, so he had no concerns about Chakra depletion.
The only priority was ensuring the path ahead was safe.
As he advanced cautiously, he noticed a sand dune trembling.
When his Shadow Clone passed by, an elongated scorpion tail lashed out and struck it.
Instantly, the clone dispersed into a puff of white smoke.
Having pinpointed the scorpion's location, Uchiha Yato had no interest in engaging further—his time was limited.
It had to be said that crossing this quicksand region was impossible without formidable strength.
Uchiha Yato spent nearly three hours traversing it safely and without drawing too much attention.
The last remaining issue was somewhat troublesome.
The desert temperature had drastically dropped, and a fierce wind now blew.
This made it extremely difficult for Uchiha Yato to return using his previous method.Either wait until tomorrow morning to return or seek the help of the One-Tail.
Perseverance pays off. After traversing the fierce wind zone, Uchiha Yato spotted a crude dwelling.
To call this structure a "house" would be generous—it was barely more than a ramshackle shelter offering minimal protection from the elements.
Even the smallest rooms typically have four walls, but this so-called "house" could only claim two. One wall looked ready to collapse at the slightest breeze, while the other was riddled with cracks large enough to see through. The only valuable thing in the entire area was likely the obscure sealing array surrounding this dilapidated structure.
Inside this wretched hut sat a monk in perfect meditation posture, eyes closed in silent contemplation. The interior held nothing remarkable—no proper furnishings, just a worn straw mat on the ground. The scene exuded profound desolation and loneliness.
Were it not for knowing Bunpuku was still alive, Uchiha Yato might have thought this monk had already passed away in meditation.
At this moment, Bunpuku turned toward Uchiha Yato's direction.
"Honored guest, there's no need to hide," the monk spoke. "This humble monk bears you no ill will..."
This caught Uchiha Yato slightly off guard.
As an outsider to the Hidden Sand Village, he wasn't sure how to greet the monk without causing misunderstanding.
Bunpuku continued, "You must not be from the Hidden Sand Village. Please don't trouble yourself over formalities."
Uchiha Yato was surprised—how could Bunpuku so easily discern he wasn't from the Sand Village?
With a smile, Bunpuku explained, "First, your attire differs from Sand Ninja. Second, the Hidden Sand has few with complexion as fair as yours—those who do are either rare exceptions or women."
This remark displeased Uchiha Yato somewhat.
Was this old bald monk implying he lacked masculinity?
Just as Uchiha Yato considered teaching Bunpuku a lesson for his words, the monk concluded:
"Visitors here have never treated me kindly. Thus I can confidently say you're not from the Hidden Sand..."
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